GWR Advance single tickets

[Ellis]

can anyone help me or explain why I’m finding it so difficult to buy regular tickets on GWR?

I travel from London Paddington to Bristol parkway 2 times a week getting the 6.45 or 7.15 departure and the 16:33, 17:03 or 17:33 return.

Throughout the summer and currently I’ve been trying to buy such tickets 12 weeks In advanced, but seems to be bit of a lottery as to when the discounted tickets are available and their price, the tickets are rarely released 12 weeks in advanced And are often only 4-10 weeks at times and no matter how early I look an find The cheapest ticket the price varies from £16 to £26 pounds.

I’m aware electrification and engineering works have affected some of these route times and have contacted GWR several times by phone and email, the response varies from try the website at different times, try after a certain date, to the computer doesn’t seem to like that particularly Journye time and route

All the staff are always friendly and helpful but no one can actually tell why I can’t buy the same ticket at the cheapest price 12 weeks in advanced, the GWR website continues to tell me highly discounted tickets are available to buy on this route 12 weeks in advanced and that I can currently do this up until 28th September on this route but when I try I can’t.

I’ve tied GWR site. Train line and split ticket and I’m aware of trains calling at patchway instead of parkway from sept 15 - 7 th October

Any help advice explanation really appreciated

Many thanks Ellis

 

[cactustwirly]

can anyone help me or explain why I’m finding it so difficult to buy regular tickets on GWR?

I travel from London Paddington to Bristol parkway 2 times a week getting the 6.45 or 7.15 departure and the 16:33, 17:03 or 17:33 return.

Throughout the summer and currently I’ve been trying to buy such tickets 12 weeks In advanced, but seems to be bit of a lottery as to when the discounted tickets are available and their price, the tickets are rarely released 12 weeks in advanced And are often only 4-10 weeks at times and no matter how early I look an find The cheapest ticket the price varies from £16 to £26 pounds.

I’m aware electrification and engineering works have affected some of these route times and have contacted GWR several times by phone and email, the response varies from try the website at different times, try after a certain date, to the computer doesn’t seem to like that particularly Journye time and route

All the staff are always friendly and helpful but no one can actually tell why I can’t buy the same ticket at the cheapest price 12 weeks in advanced, the GWR website continues to tell me highly discounted tickets are available to buy on this route 12 weeks in advanced and that I can currently do this up until 28th September on this route but when I try I can’t.

I’ve tied GWR site. Train line and split ticket and I’m aware of trains calling at patchway instead of parkway from sept 15 - 7 th October

Any help advice explanation really appreciated

Many thanks Ellis

I don't know, GWR have developed some sort of phobia of advances.
It is a bit of a lottery, with half the trains not having any at all!
Then you wonder why some of their trains are empty...
My advice is to use trainsplit and find some cheapish splits on flexibles.
Splitting at Didcot and Swindon can reduce the cost a bit.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Network Rail timetable planning isn’t where it should be , instead of T-12 (12weeks ahead) the industry is currently working on some thing like T-6

 

[tago]

There appears to have been a dramatic fall in the availability of cheap advance tickets on any route, presumably down to Westminster traveller-screwing reasons.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

There appears to have been a dramatic fall in the availability of cheap advance tickets on any route, presumably down to Westminster traveller-screwing reasons.

The availability of Advances is sadly entirely down to TOCs' discretion. Sadly, because for many routes it's the only remotely affordable way for non-business travellers to travel. I doubt it's the politicians' fault this time!

 

[cactustwirly]

There appears to have been a dramatic fall in the availability of cheap advance tickets on any route, presumably down to Westminster traveller-screwing reasons.

There's been an almighty cock up with the price of the advances (when they are actually available), as they are undercut by the Super off peak single quite a lot of the time!

 

[tago]

Surprised nobody has noticed what’s been going on with prices on the ECML in the last month. I mean, advances were always a bit hard to find on Worst Late Western, but that didn’t affect elsewhere...

 

[Romilly]

Surprised nobody has noticed what’s been going on with prices on the ECML in the last month. I mean, advances were always a bit hard to find on Worst Late Western, but that didn’t affect elsewhere...

I think I've already commented on another thread that the starting prices for many Advances on the East Coast Main Line for travel this Autumn appears to be 50% higher than it was last Autumn.